List of heads of government of Norway

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This is a list of viceroys (visekonge), governors (rigsstatholder), first ministers (førstestatsråd) and prime ministers (statsminister) of Norway.

Until 1873, the king of the personal union between Sweden and Norway governed Norway through two cabinets: one in Stockholm and another in Christiania (now Oslo). The newly created Stockholm cabinet consisted of a prime minister and two ministers, whose role was to convey the attitudes of the Christiania cabinet to the Swedish king.

The cabinet in Christiania was led by a governor (rigsstatholder). For brief periods, the incumbent crown prince was appointed Viceroy of Norway by the king, in which case the viceroy became the highest authority in Christiania.

Whenever the king was present in Christiania, however, he assumed the highest authority, thus putting the governor or viceroy temporarily out of charge. Likewise, when there was no governor, viceroy or king present in Christiania (which was not unusual), the cabinet was led by a so-called first minister, who was the most prominent member of the cabinet.

In July 1873, the position of governor was abolished after being vacant since 1856. Simultaneously, the post of first minister in Christiania was upgraded to Prime Minister of Norway. Although the office of Norwegian Prime Minister in Stockholm still existed, the real power and influence over state affairs was moved to the prime minister in Christiania. When the union was dissolved in 1905, the prime minister in Stockholm simply ceased to function.

Governors, Viceroys, and First Ministers (1814–1873)

Governors of Norway (1814–1856)

1. Count Hans Henrik von Essen (1814–1816)
2. Count Carl Carlsson Mörner (1816–1818)
3. Count Johan August Sandels (1818–1827)
4. Count Baltzar von Platen (1827–1829)
5. Count Herman Wedel-Jarlsberg (1836–1840)
6. Severin Løvenskiold (1841–1856)

Viceroys of Norway (periodically 1814–1857)

1. Crown Prince Carl Johan (9 November–17 November 1814)
2. Crown Prince Carl Johan (10 June–16 July 1816)
3. Crown Prince Oscar (11 April–1 November 1824)
4. Crown Prince Oscar (17 June–3 December 1833)
5. Crown Prince Carl (17 June 1856–22 June 1857)

First Ministers of Norway (1814–1873)

1. Frederik Gottschalck von Haxthausen (1814)
2. Marcus Gjøe Rosenkrantz (1814–1815)
3. Mathias Sommerhielm (1815–1822)
4. Jonas Collett (1822–1836)
5. Nicolai Johan Lohmann Krog (1836–1855)
6. Jørgen Herman Vogt (1855–1858)
7. Hans Christian Petersen (1858–1861)
8. Frederik Stang (1861–1873); continued as Prime Minister until 1880

In 1873, the position of First Minister was upgraded to Prime Minister.

Prime Ministers of Norway (1814–1905)

Prime Ministers (1814–1873)

In 1873 the office of the Prime Minister moved from Stockholm to Christiania. # Name Picture Took office Left office Political Party Term
1 Peder Anker 1814 1822 Independent 1
2 Mathias Sommerhielm 1822 1827 Independent 2
3 Severin Løvenskiold 1828 1841 Independent 3
4 Frederik Due 1841 1858 Independent 4
5 Georg Sibbern 1858 1871 Independent 5
6 Otto Kierulf 1871 1873 Independent 6

Prime Ministers in Stockholm (1873–1905)

# Name Picture Took office Left office Political Party Term
1 Otto Kierulf 1873 1884 Independent 1
2 Wolfgang Wenzel von Haffner
(acting) 1884 1884 Independent 2
3 Carl Otto Løvenskiold 1884 1884 Independent 3
4 Ole Jørgen Richter 1884 1888 Independent 4
5 Hans Georg Jacob Stang 1888 1889 Independent 5
6 Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram 1889 1891 Independent 6
7 Otto Albert Blehr 1891 1893 Independent 7
8 Gregers Winther Wulfsberg Gram 1893 1898 Independent 8
9 Otto Albert Blehr 1898 1902 Independent 9
10 Ole Anton Qvam 1902 1903 Independent 10
11 Sigurd Ibsen 1903 1905 Independent 11
12 Jørgen Løvland 1905 1905 Independent 12

Prime Ministers in Christiania (1873–1905)

      Liberal Party of Norway (Venstre)       Conservative Party (Høyre)       Coalition Party (Samlingspartiet)

# Name Picture Took office Left office Political Party Term
1 Frederik Stang 1873 1880 Independent 1
2 Christian August Selmer 1880 1884 Conservative Party 2
3 Christian Homann Schweigaard 1884 1884 Conservative Party 3
4 Johan Sverdrup 1884 1889 Liberal Party 4
5 Emil Stang 1889 1891 Conservative Party 5
6 Johannes Steen 1891 1893 Liberal Party 6
5 Emil Stang 1893 1895 Conservative Party 7
7 Francis Hagerup 1895 1898 Conservative Party 8
6 Johannes Steen 1898 1902 Liberal Party 9
8 Otto Blehr 1902 1903 Liberal Party 10
7 Francis Hagerup 1903 1905 Coalition Party 11

Prime Ministers of Norway (1905–present)

In 1905, the union between Sweden and Norway was dissolved. Since then the office of the Prime Minister of Norway has been in Oslo, except for the years of Nazi-German occupation during World War II when the Norwegian government was in exile in London.